Author's Notes: L'ubor sure does enjoy playing tour guide...
"Your room will be just up here on the left."
L'ubor, ever the gracious host, twisted the room key and pulled open the door for Theodore, who offered a courteous bow before stepping inside.
"Positively cozy," Theodore replied, surveying the space with interest. He approached the nearby window which overlooked the creek and the streets below which led to the baths. He turned to L'ubor with a smile. "Not a bad view, either."
"He says, while looking inward and away from the landscape," L'ubor teased. "If you wish to call me handsome, you need only say so."
Theodore chuckled. "I can think of a few things I wish to call you, handsome among them." With a relieved sigh, he unhitched the fastening of his belt holster and lowered it, along with his blade, into the small chest at the foot of the bed. When he stood, he approached L'ubor and, to L'ubor's surprise, grabbed him by the hip and pulled him in close. Their bodies now flush, L'ubor felt every bit as excited as he had the moment he'd first laid eyes on him.
Without missing a beat, he looked at Theodore and said, "And what other things do you wish to call me?"
"Absolute trouble." Theodore tilted his head down with a smirk gracing his lips. "But also, my local tour guide. Trust me when I say, I'd love nothing more than to take you up on your offer of seeing you wield your tool with expertise, but I'm in truly no shape to…indulge."
Theodore's bravery inspired L'ubor to reach up and tap his fingers along the man's solid bicep, up over his shoulder pauldron, where he tugged lightly on the collar of his leather harness. "It sounds like someone is in desperate need of a relaxing dip in the baths. Am I correct?"
"Mm, that sounds lovely. Days after days on the road have left me feeling…less than desirable."
"I'll be the judge of that." L'ubor traced his finger along the chiseled outline of Theodore's jaw, savored in the sight of clear enjoyment that reflected in that handsome face. "But far be it from me to deny you the comfort and refresh you so rightly deserve. Come, let me play tour guide."
With Theodore's equipment securely stowed away, L'ubor led him out of the inn and onto the streets. Knowing full well that Theodore was from Boklad, whose markets were bountiful and illustrious in their own right, there was no need to tell the grandiose tale of Dalimil and the goods they provided. For L'ubor, who was used to wheeling and dealing on a daily basis, it was a stretch of his conversational skill set to focus on something other than trying to convince someone of something.
Was it refreshing? Only time would tell.
The familiar and comforting scent of lavender and agarwood greeted them upon their arrival to the bathhouse. It took but a moment to sniff out Xaver, whose nose was buried in a ledger not far from the entrance.
"Xaver!" L'ubor called. "Do you have a moment?"
Xaver started. He lifted his head from his ledger and immediately relaxed upon seeing L'ubor, shoulders slouching. "Oh, Founder. It's just you. For a moment, I thought we'd had another incident with Kupka's men getting into a fight in the baths again…"
L'ubor shook his head. "Far from it, my friend. Far from it. No, I'm here to introduce one of our visitors to the famous Dalimil baths. He's come from Boklad and has brought us quite a large shipment of goods we sorely needed. I trust one of the private bathing rooms is available, yes?"
"Private? I would need to check…" Xaver ushered over his second in command, a young woman named Nadia, to confirm details. "We've a bathing room available for an hour, if that's agreeable."
"Perfect. Absolutely perfect. If you don't mind, I'm just going to take him back there myself, make sure he's settled in with everything he needs."
Xaver scratched his balding head. Perplexed though he was, his attention clearly was waning. "As you like, L'ubor…one of our attendants could easily do it."
"Nonsense, it's my pleasure. Come, Theodore, let's get you settled."
If there was one thing L'ubor was grateful for when it came to Xaver, it was that the man's interest in the goings-on around him rarely extended beyond the existence of his ledger. The baths were one of the busiest places in Dalimil, and L'ubor's choice to accompany some random stranger? Xaver was likely to forget within minutes. It was inconsequential.
The scent of lavender and agarwood only blossomed as L'ubor pulled back the doors and entered the bathhouse proper. He moved through the space with liquid precision, feet carrying him down both narrow and wide corridors, around corners and down stairs, until he stopped at a landing before a small set of steps. These led to yet another lower level: a long, rectangular lobby with several wooden doors leading to the private baths.
"You'll truly find no better bathhouse in the Twins than ours here in Dalimil," L'ubor said confidently. "The springs at Doeznov Terraces nearby provide truly the best water, just the perfect temperature. In addition to a wonderful soak and cleanse, you'll find our attendants are masters of massage, relaxation and conversation. You'll be refreshed and relieved in no time."
"Masters of relaxation?" Theodore raised his eyebrows with a considering nod. "I do hope you remember I didn't bring my coinpurse…"
"Ah, but you're forgetting the most important thing you did bring. Me."
With the coast clear of any potential onlookers, L'ubor reached for Theodore's wrist and tugged him down the steps. He led him toward the room on the far left, whose wide open door indicated it was unoccupied. The room itself was intimate, clearly meant for an individual or a pair at best. A large, square stone bath sat nestled in the corner. Adjacent to it was a carved stonetop bench for stepping in and out of the bath, or for sitting as needed. Beside them at the door, atop a small wooden table, were a tan linen robe, a linen towel, and a pair of linden wood slippers.
"Everything you need…and then some." L'ubor sidled in against Theodore, fingers idly plucking at the clasps across his chest harness. "I suppose I should leave you alone for some privacy?"
He, of course, had no intention of leaving.
Theodore reached up with lightning speed to grip L'ubor's wristlets. He stared him square in the eyes. "We've come this far and now you play coy? Oh, I think not. I remember someone telling me that Dalimil was famous for hospitality…" His voice softened to a flirtatious murmur, "or was I mistaken?"
L'ubor curled his fingers more firmly into the clasps. Slowly, the corners of his lips pulled into an all too comfortable smirk. "Hospitality indeed…well then. While I'm nowhere near as masterful as our attendants, I'm all too happy to give it my very best. Now…" He took two steps into the room, pulling Theodore with him. All it took was a gentle nudge of his boot for the heavy wooden door to ease itself shut with a soft click. "Tell me about the baths in Boklad."
Theodore chuckled. "Far be it from me to compare the two, but…this is leagues above. The ones back home are mostly just functional, not so much for recreation or relaxation. Most of us just cross into the Dominion if we want something more." He lifted his gaze from L'ubor's to glance around the room. "It smells beautiful in here. Is that…" he sniffed. "Jasmine?"
"Indeed it is." L'ubor patted his palm against the small sliver of Theodore's bare chest. "Good nose. Each room has a small plate of wood chips soaked in fragrance oils. Ambiance, you see. I believe Xaver changes them out based on supply." He finally pulled back from Theodore to walk over toward the bath. Fixed to the wall above its left hand side was a stone waterfall spout. L'ubor released its stopper and within moments, warm spring water began burbling out, filling up the basin.
He eased onto the edge of the bath, looking up at Theodore. "Jasmine is a beautiful scent, wouldn't you agree? Warm, sweet, sensual. The perfect fragrance for a relaxing bath."
"So descriptive. That silver tongue truly never stops…"
"Why, if it truly never stopped, you'd be more than halfway naked by now." He grinned playfully. "Or do you plan to bathe in all that roguish attire?"
Theodore clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. He said nothing, instead lifting one of his booted feet to the bench. He undid the straps and removed it, following suit with the other, all while staring L'ubor down with interest. "I feel as though there's some witty comment about you undressing me with your eyes here…"
"I can just as easily use my hands, if it's any consolation."
"I bet you could."
It was not typical procedure for an attendant to be in the room after beginning the draw of the bath water, let alone while the patron undressed, but nothing about what they had done up to now was typical. Every so often, L'ubor created bubbles and lather for the water by occasionally dipping their house-made olive oil soap under the running water. All the while, he watched with rapt interest as Theodore removed his armor and clothing piece by piece, soon leaving him clad in only his underwear.
To say the other man was physically attractive was putting it mildly; L'ubor all too happily followed the muscular contours of his body, noting scars and other marks along his chest and forearms where he could in the ambient lighting from the candle chandelier above.
Of course, there was no denying the sizable weight in the pouch between his legs…
"Mm. Well then." L'ubor scratched the side of his cheek, a flush of arousal blooming across his chest and neck. He felt particularly warm all of the sudden. "Let me just turn away for a moment so you can finish and climb into the bath."
Something told him from the confident grin on Theodore's face that he was well aware of the effect he was having on him. There was no shame to be had, L'ubor reasoned. They had both been vocal about their mutual interest. He might have sneaked a glance when he heard Theodore take his first step into the bath, anyway…
"Titan's tits, this is–oh, this is amazing…"
L'ubor gave it a few beats before finally turning around to face Theodore in the bath. He had submerged himself to just below his collarbone. Theodore raised his hands from beneath the water and ran them slowly up and down his face, then over his hair.
"You weren't lying when you said the water was the perfect temperature. I fully expected to need to use a crystal to heat it up, but this is…"
L'ubor smiled in satisfaction. "There's a reason people come from all over Dhalmekia to experience our baths. I mentioned it earlier, but we're near a natural hot spring, which feeds right into these very basins. We even create our own soaps and bath oils here." L'ubor held up the green oval soap and winked. "You're going to sleep like a baby tonight."
"I shudder to think how much this is going to cost me," Theodore said, laughing. "All the money earned from shipping your goods, down the proverbial and literal drain."
"Ah…fret not. This one is on the house." Xaver might kill him, but L'ubor didn't mind pulling a favor for it. Theodore's wide eyes made him chuckle. The Desert Hare leaned forward, hooking his index finger under the other man's bearded chin. "Don't worry. I'm getting more than fair recompense out of this. Now. Turn around and come closer."
As Theodore waded toward him, L'ubor dipped the soap into the water and worked up a lather between his hands. He took a moment to savor that initial tension, that palpable prickle in the tips of his fingers. L'ubor was no stranger to carnal indulgence, but it had been ages. With Theodore, he had the gift of build-up. From their very first meeting he had fantasized, and fantasized well.
Never had he imagined this would be their next meeting. Fortune truly favored the bold.
L'ubor savored first with his eyes, staring along the nape of Theodore's neck, trailing his eyes along his well-defined, freckled shoulders. With a deep breath, he placed his hands upon them and began gentle, circular sweeping motions. Despite having applied little to no pressure, he could feel the knots baked deep into the muscle.
"Tell me more about you, handsome Theodore of the Crimson Caravans. How did you get into such a lucrative business?"
"My sister," Theodore murmured. His head lolled forward as L'ubor's hands began working along his back. His satisfied groans were music to L'ubor's ears. "She's the one with the eye and ear for commerce. She saw a need and she struck it. She sets up the contracts, I execute them. We move a lot of goods."
"And protect the cargo along the way. Mm, my word. She gets two for one. What a steal." L'ubor could feel the quickening of his pulse as his hands took in more and more of Theodore's upper torso and shapely biceps. He dipped his cupped palms into the water and let it cascade both down his shoulders and over his collarbone to his chest. Soon, he was running his palms from shoulder to pectoral and back again, lathering up and rinsing off. "It's rare to find carriers who can also hold their own in a fight. Have you always worked with your sister?"
There was a noticeable fondness in Theodore's tone. "Always. I'd be lost without El."
L'ubor smiled faintly. "Family is ever important. Being able to conduct business with them…priceless."
Family was a sensitive subject. Like most bearers, L'ubor's experience with family ran deeply sour. He grew up in a modest household in Ran'dellah, the son of a trader and a housemaid. While he had food on his plate every night and a roof over his head, L'ubor had always wanted more, having adopted his father's grandiose dreams of riches. Unfortunately, he came into his powers in the dark of the night shortly after his seventh naming day. Knowing what awaited him if he were discovered, L'ubor made the brave decision to abandon his family–and his eventual fate–and hitched a ride on the next caravan out of the city, which happened to bring him to Dalimil.
The first few years were rough: living on the streets, picking up odd jobs that nobody wanted just for some coin so he could eat that day or sleep in the inn. L'ubor often longed for his parents, longed for their love and support, but knowing what he was, knowing how they treated bearers from interactions on the streets and the foul words they said in the privacy of their home, that longing withered away and soon warped into resentment. L'ubor kept his secret buried deep, never sharing it, never daring to expose himself or his supposed weakness to anyone, ever.
Well. Save for Ruzena.
Through a twist of fate he ended up in her care, and she became more family to him than anyone. Under her tutelage, he grew leaps and bounds in a few short years' time, mastering the mercantile trade, smithing, and even large-scale networking, to eventually succeed her and become the Desert Hare of Dalimil. He would give it all up in a minute if it meant bringing her back from her untimely death. The earnest and all-encompassing love of a mother figure was unlike anything else.
For Theodore to have a sister who loved him so…L'ubor truly longed for such a rare gift.
"L'ubor?"
"Ah! My sincerest apologies, Theodore, I thought I could hear our neighboring patron…" An easy lie. He gave a faint shake of his head. "Old habit to let wandering ears listen."
Theodore craned his neck and looked up at him. That gorgeous, comfortable smile warmed him from the inside out. L'ubor reached up and brushed several long strands of hair out of Theodore's vision. In that moment, in the softness of their shared gaze, L'ubor's longing began to transform from wistful to hopeful.
"And how is the service thus far?"
"Brilliant," Theodore replied readily. He leaned into L'ubors fingers, which were lingering near his face, and sighed contentedly. "Reckon it's my turn to leave a glowing review for services rendered."
"Ah…and I haven't even shown you the very best. You flatter me." L'ubor hesitated for just a moment; it was rare for him to be knocked off kilter, but the gesture was so unexpectedly and genuinely affectionate. In his world, he was used to giving it out, but receiving such behavior never came without a price. He straightened his back and sat up properly. "I'm afraid if you let me do any more, I'm liable to ravish you before you're fully clean…" He licked his lips. "And in the spirit of hospitable behavior, I'd much rather wait until you've had time to fully relax before I rile you up again."
Theodore guffawed then, a hand lifting from beneath the water to grab hold of the nearby rim of the bath. He turned in his spot to fully face L'ubor. His cheeks were a vibrant pink, dark eyes glimmering with amusement. "Consider me impressed with what I've experienced thus far. And you're right, I think I'd prefer to enjoy this beautiful moment for some time longer before I give in to the storm coursing in my gut. That said…"
L'ubor watched with interest as Theodore approached him. He watched him rise in the bath, expecting him to either get out or, wild as the thought was, pull L'ubor in with him. To his surprise, Theodore's hands cupped either side of his face and guided him down into an earnest, hungry kiss.
Bless the Founder, there was nothing chaste about it. Theodore's lips were soft, warm and inviting, but his grip was firm and authoritative. L'ubor let out a soft sound of surprise, heart leaping in his chest. Just as he shifted to bring himself closer, Theodore broke the kiss, sank comfortably back into the water and grinned devilishly at him.
"Let that serve as a hint of what's to come."
